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When heaven's creative hand was laid 

Upon these gorgeous hills 
In emerald sheen and gold arrayed, 

And cleft by Hashing rills, 
I traced in beauty mead and dale 

With charms forever new, 
But left its blessings on that vale 

Where flows the Kickapoo. 

i)ljjjfc0 favored land ! — No foot has trod 
. ,^-< ; _""> Through fairer paths than thine 
,"^Where hills uplift their heads to God/ ;.- 

c- And speak His power divine, ^~ 
■ Where valleys breathe of peace and restj 
■ \ '« Fresh as the morning dew, 
- w .. Arid Vernon on her own warm breast 
t ; Impearls the Kickapoo. 



Above me bend the clustering boughs; 

The cliffs around me stand 
And heavenward rear their giant brows 

In beauty calm and grand, — ,/^ : 
I linger lovingly and long 

Beside these waters blue ^ '< 

And yearn to give thy name to song 

O peaceful Kickapoo ! •"' "' -. 

But men will come in after days ,^~ >» r^" 
• _ Thy wondrous charms to see, f. •*; 

j/.^.And many an abler pen will praise ^i^ 
\ Thy matchless scenery — 

' X ,4;God shield thee by His mighty arm <? 

-' , J And every wrong subdue; 
* ' God keep thy dwellings safe from harm 
O tranquil Kickapoo ! 



""V 




Retreat, Wis. 




THE KICKAPOO VALLEY 



Gem of Wisconsin 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KICKAPOO VALLEY, ITS 
EARLY SETTLEMENT, PROGRESS AND DEVELOP- 
MENT—ILLUSTRATED WITH HALF-TONE 
ENGRAVINGS OF BUILDINGS, SCENERY, 
REPRESENTATIVE MEN, ETC. 



GERTRUDE FRAZIER & ROSE B POFF 



COPYRIGHT BY 

GERTRUDE FRAZIER «\: ROSE B. POFF, 

1896. 



Introductory. 



In presenting this handsome little volume to the 
public, we are prompted to do so by hearing and 
reading many fictitious reports about the Kickapoo 
Valley and its inhabitants. Out of loyalty to the 
country, love for our homes and local institutions, 
our high esteem for the citizens of the Kickapoo 
Valley, and the great admiration we have for the 
beauties of Nature which Ave behold in any direction 
we may turn, we undertake this publication. 

We shall endeavor to give a correct, but neces- 
sarily brief, description of the Kickapoo Valley, (not 
including the West branch of the river, nor any tribu- 
taries but just the main valley,) with an account of 
its products, industries and the people who settled 
and developed the valley; also the present state of 
progression, educational facilities, religious and civic 
societies, etc., etc. 

The writers obtained the information presented 
in this book by visiting, personally, each and every 
place mentione;l and iinc: viewing the oldest inhabi- 
tants, the dates and statistics being the most reliable 
that could be procured. 

The Kickapoo Valley and its inhabitants have an 
established unsavory reputation, extending through- 
out the state of Wisconsin and even bevond that it 



is a territory some fifty miles long, wild and undevel- 
oped, inhabited by illiterate pec pie who are designated 
timber thieves, horse thieves and desperadoes. That 
snch statements are wholly false, we will prove by the 
indisputable evidence herein. The engravings we 
present to the reader will give some idea of the 
development, enterprise, industry and progression 
of the inhabitants of this far famed and much abused 
Kickapoo region. 

That this book shall be an instrument in remov- 
ing the great ignorance and prejudice which prevails 
even among the people of our own state, and if it 
shall convey to our people and those of other states 
a true knowledge of this region, the end for which 
we have worked will have been accomplished. 

In gathering the material for this edition we have 
been assisted by the citizens all along the valley in 
many ways and aside from this we have some con- 
tributions herein which are valuable acquisitions to 
this effort. Acknowledgment is hereby made for all 
these favors and our sincere wish is that this book 
may fulfill, at least in a measure, the expecta- 
tions of our friends who have wished it success. 

The Authors. 



Cbe Kickapoo Ualley, 




This picturesque valley whose very name suggests 
the forest primeval through which the Red Man 
hunted the deer and the elk, and in the shadow of 
whose cliffs the tumultuous stream follows its de- 
vious course, circuitous many times but yet ever 
onward, is a fit theme for the poet and a region of 
delight to the artist with pencil or brush. The innum- 
erable nooks, the imposing heights, the peaceful flocks 
and herds grazing on the hillsides or resting in the 
shade of some giant tree, and the vistas of river with 
overhanging boughs on either side — the sunlight and 
shadow dancing together on the water — all seem to 
have been created for the delectation of the camera 
fiend. 

No matter in what direction one sets his face a 
new scene presents itself at each turn of the road and 
each seems more beautiful than the last. The bluffs 



which bound the valley, whether clothed in the 
heavy, many-tinted foliage of the forest trees, or with 
the 1 uxuriant growth of grass which gives the appear- 
ance of a great moss bank hundreds of feet high, or 
whether crowned with a frowning cliff, each in its 
own unique way is surpassingly beautiful. To me 
they are like people, some morose and gloomy, some 
sunshiny and bright. Some seem to be a veritable 
tower of strength, others seem to have nothing to 
recommend them but the fact that they fill a gap. 
The headlands in which these bluffs end jut toward 
every point of the compass and one's judgment on 
each like that on the political issues of the day, de- 
pends on one's point of view. A bluff which from a 
distance promises to be very imposing, on a near ap- 
proach may become very commonplace. 

Sometimes there is a succession of bluffs of almost 
uniform appearance and extending in same direction, 
but more often they zig-zag in all directions. 

The forests which clothe the hills and valleys are 
hardwood trees of the oak, maple, hickory, and black 
walnut species; among the softwood trees linwood 
and elm are most abundant. Mingled with them all 
are birch, poplar, ironwood, butternut, boxelderand 
pine. The lower slopes of many hills produce a lux- 
uriant growth of sumac and hazel. Scarcely less 
beautiful are those slopes whose timber growth has 
been cut away and are now covered with fields of 
waving grain. 

Between almost any two of these bluffs flows a 
stream of the purest water whose source is a spring 
gushing from the hillside or bubbling up through a 



sandy bed from some reservoir deep in the earth. 
These brooks are the natural home of speckled 
trout. 

This fairest and most gorgeous of Wisconsin 
gems of scenery lies in the western part of the state, 
north of the Wisconsin River into which the Kicka- 
poo empties. Surrounded by tall waving grass and 
sheltered by a clump of trees, the Kickapoo River wells 
up to the surface a few miles to the northward of 
Wilton, in Monroe County. At first it is only a 
brook across which a child might jump, but it is soon 
augmented by many other brooks and becomes a 
river. 

It waters a region about eighty miles in length 
but is itself much longer, for it is as its name in the 
Indian tongue indicates, a "crooked river." Its gen- 
eral course is to the southwest. On its way to the 
Wisconsin it crosses the counties of Vernon and 
Crawford and the northwest corner of Richland. 
In some places, especially near the mouth, the valley 
is narrow and the cliffs on either side stand like sen- 
tinels guarding some sacred treasure. At other points 
the valley suddenly widens out and smilingly invites 
the husbandman to garner in the riches so pro- 
fusely spread out. 

Not only in the valley is the scenery very beau- 
tiful, but a view from the top of one of the bluffs pre- 
sents a new world. As far as the eye can reach is 
shown a succession of hilltops, each crowned with 
cultivated fields and substantial residences. The 
water supply for these hill farms is usually obtained 
from a well by means of a windmill. 




[^»44^^W ^^ 



■ . • \ 



The pioneer residents of the Kickapoo Valley 
must have looked upon the stream as a benefactor. 
These early settlers were lumbermen, and the river 
not only furnished the power for sawing the logs into 
lumber, but on its surface were floated to market the 
products of the mills along its banks. And although 
the stream has shrunk with the encroachments of 
man even as the Indian has been driven from his 
domain, it has lost none of its power as a force pro- 
ducing agency. It turns the w r heels of many factories 
but might as easily be utilized for thousands beside. 

The average width of the stream is about one 
hundred feet, the average depth three feet, while it 
probably has a fall of about two feet to the mile. 
As it originates and finds its never failing supply of 
water in living springs which abound from its source 
to its mouth and therefore do not freeze in winter, 
the power afforded is of great value. 

The Kickapoo is spanned by many bridges, some 



of wood but the majority of iron. The firm of Her- 
man Timerman, of Ontario, has built and has under 
construction a total of forty iron and steel bridges 
across the Kickapoo and its tributaries during the 
last four years. These bridges, if placed end to end, 
wouid reach a distance of three thousand feet. The 
weight of the iron and steel in them including sub- 
structures is five hundred and sixty thousand pounds. 
This metal if rolled in one bar one inch in diameter 
would be over forty miles long. A great many iron 
bridges have been built by other companies. Beside 
these highway bridges, the river is crossed by the C. 
& N.W.R.R. and the CM. & St. P. R. R., once each, 
and by the Kickapoo Valley and Northern five times. 

The numerous streams which empty into the 
Kickapoo, as well as the river itself, water many fine 
stock farms. As a dairy and stock region the Kick- 
apoo Valley is unsurpassed. The creameries and 
cheese factories and herds of fine cattle and other 
blooded stock bear testimony to this. The grass 
which is native to this valley is here known as June 
grass, and is said by best authorities to be the famous 
Kentucky blue grass. This grass abounds wherever 
the underbrush has been cut out, and is as good pas- 
turage for all kinds of stock as the state produces. 
Even the most steep hillsides are thus not waste 
land as they are covered with grass and have been 
found to be exceedingly healthful places for sheep. 

The Kickapoo Valley would be a haven of rest 
to the farmer of the western prairies who is accus- 
tomed to see a fine promising crop destroyed in a 
night. The crops in this valley never fail. The pro- 

1 1 



ducts of the farms will be spoken of in another place. 
A sight long to be remembered is that which meets 
the eye of the traveller through the Kickapoo Val- 
ley in the harvest season. The broad acres of waving 
grain, the vast corn fields and the sweet smelling hay 
fields are so interspersed as to present a most pleas- 
ing picture. 

The sportsman with gun or rod will find the 
Kickapoo Valley well stocked with game. The woods 
are full of squirrels and rabbits. The snipe shooting 
on lower course of river is unexcelled. Quail and 
grouse are plentiful. The books in the office of the 
fish commissioner at Madison show that five hundred 
fifty-six thousand brook trout and eighty-six thous- 
and rainbow trout have, during last four years, been 
placed in streams entering the Kickapoo. About two 
thousand acres on the lower course of the river have 




Mt. Nehn. the- Patron Mountain <>t Viola. 



lately been leased by a company who arc stocking 
it with Chinese Pheasants, imported direct from Asia. 
The woods invite not onh' the sportsman with 
his deadly gun; the botanist may fairly revel in the 
wealth spread out at his feet. Space forbids any- 
thing like an enumeration of the thousands of var- 
ieties of plants native to this valley. Almost every 
family is here represented. A visitor to the woods in 
spring time is sure to be rewarded with many kinds 
of ferns, delicate anemones, modest violets, nodding 
trilliums, buttercups, wild roses, lady slippers, colum- 
bine, honeysuckles, harebells, wood orchids, oxalis, 
finer de lis, Dutchman's breeches and Jack in-the- 
pulpit. Later in the season the roadsides are gor- 
geous with golden rod, asters and ox-eyed daisies. 
Aromatic mints grow profusely in many localities. 
Berry patches abound everywhere, and in their sea- 
son vast quantities of red and black raspberries, 
blackberries, gooseberries and elderberries are picked. 
Wild strawberries, plums, black haws, chokecherries 
and black cherries delight the youngster, who, later 
in the season, gathers and hoards up for winter an 
abundant supply of hazel nuts, butternuts, walnuts 
and hickory nuts. From many of the trees hang fes- 
toons of hop vine and grape vine laden with fruit. 
Water cress grows in the spring brooks. A drive 
through the country in winter when the snow is 
deep may bring one upon a brook filled with this 
growth. The sight of that long, dark green, velvet 
ribbon lying in knots and loops upon the white field 
will not soon be forgotten. One thinks instantly of 
the soft cushions of thick moss lying beneath the 

13 



snow and already green waiting for the first hint of 
Spring. 

Underneath all these multifarious forms of vege- 
table life lie vast beds of building stone of a fair 
quality. It is of limestone formation. Rocks from 
which lime is burnt are picked up from some of the 
ravines, where they have been washed by the rains. 

Each season of the year seems to us who live here 
the most beautiful. Winter with its skating and 
sleigh-rides and nipping cold is a well beloved season. 
Springtime with its awakenings to life and activity, 
aside from its vernal beaut}', is always a time of de- 
light to an industrious people. The Summer with 
its promises of plenty is ever welcome. The Fall, when 
these pledges are fulfilled, woods and fields and gar- 
dens and orchards overflowing with fruitfulness, calls 
forth expressions of most sincere praise. When one 
attempts to describe the scenery in the Kickapoo 
V alley, words utterly fail to set forth the glory of 
the autumnal woods when the hillsides put on their 
Fall colors. The purple of the ash, the many tints of 
yellow and red affected by the maples, the dark rich- 
ness of the oaks — all bathed in the violet haze of the 
Indian summer — such scenes must be viewed daily to 
be realized. Mingled with these are the reddish- 
brown bobs and red or yellow leaves of the sumac, 
the clusters of wild grapes, the magnificent coloring 
of the Virginia creeper and the wax-like berries of the 
honevsuckle. 



"I know not how, in other lands, 

The changing- seasons come and go; 
What splendors fall on Syrian sands, 

What purple lights on Alpine snow ! 
Nor how the pomp of sunrise waits 

On Venice at her watery gates; 
A dream alone to me is Arno's vale, 

And the Alhambra'shalls are but a traveller's tale. 

'Yet, on life's current, he who drifts 

Is one with him who rows or sails; 
And he who wanders widest lifts 

No more of beauty's jealous veils 
Then he who from his doorway sees 

The miracle of flowers and trees, 
Feels the warm Orient in the noonday air, 
And from cloud minarets hears the sunset call to 
prayer! 

'The eye may well be glad, that looks 

Where Pharpar's fountains rise and fall; 
But he who sees his native brooks 

Laugh in the sun, has seen them all. 
The marble palaces of Ind 

Rise round him in the snow and wind; 
From his lone sweetbrier Persian Hafiz smiles, 
And Rome's cathedral awe is in his woodland 
aisles." 

(Whittier.) 



Ristory of KicKapoo Ualky. 

There is abundant proof that the Kickapoo 
Valley was a thickly inhabited region hundreds of 
years before the Red Man descended upon it. 

The valley of the Wisconsin River from the por- 
tage to the mouth of the stream is believed to have 
been the great central seat of population during the 
dominance of that mysterious race, The Mound 
Builders, about whom so much is conjectured and 
so little known. 

North of the Wisconsin River and between it and 
the Mississippi there were thousands of earthworks 
built by this race. But these mute monuments of an 
extinct people can tell us but little more than the fact 
that they existed. Even their name has perished 
from off the face of the earth. 

They loved the Kickapoo Valley as an abiding 
place, for here they built some of their most remark- 
able works. They seem to have been alive to the 
advantages offered by the site of our fair village, for 
mounds showing some of the highest skill and inge- 
nuity displayed by them nre found in Mound Park 

16 



addition to Viola. The land on which this part of 
the village is built was formerly owned by Mr. H. L. 
Turner, and we quote from the History of Vernon 
County parts of an article written by him for that 
work: — 

"There are thirty-two mounds on the place. 
Scattered around in groups of one or more on about 
100 acres of land, of a dry, sandy soil, being above 
high water mark, the mounds are always on good 
dry land. They are of various forms and sizes. 
Some are round, some are long straight mounds of 
earth; some are in the form of animals, and some of 
birds; all are very distinct, and show clearly what 
they are. But they vary from the animals and birds 
of the present time. 

"The first group consists of three mounds. Two 
of these are nearly in the form of deer lying down on 
their sides, facing each other, their heads about two 
rods apart. They are about six rods long in their 
bodies; their tails six or eight rods long. The knee 
joints of both forward and hind legs are bent back, 
and the tails are very long for deer. The other 
mound is in the form of a bear lying on his side, and 
is about five rods long. 

"Group No. 3 consists of thirteen round mounds, 
in two rows; one of the rows is straight — the largest 
mounds are in the middle. The other row is in a 
curve, in which there are seven mounds. 

"The largest mound on this farm is called the 
Eagle. His wings and tail are extended as though 
sailing in the air. From tip to tip of wings is about 
thirty rods. 



"About thirty rods to the northwest of j the 
Eagle is Hawk mound. It is about eight rods long 
and has extended wings and tail. 

"Group No. 5 consists of two mounds, one in the 
form of a beaver crouched on the ground, his legs 
under him; the other mound is the same animal lying 
on his side and forward of the other. They are about 
six rods in length. 

"Group No. 6 consists of two mounds in the form 
of birds. They are alike, both flying the same way. 
They are side by side, the tips of the wings just 
touching each other. The}- are flying south. These 
are called the Wild Geese." 

For directions as to exact location and further 
description the reader is directed to the History of 
Vernon County. 

There are other mounds on same place in the form 
of birds and beaver as well as of regular forms. The 
adjoining farm of Mr. David Sommars contains 
mounds of like character. Indeed, they abound all 
about here, and not only in the vicinity of Viola, 
but in all parts of the Kickapoo Valley. The average 
height of these works when the country was first 
settled was from two to three feet. 

People have supposed from the name of the 
Kickapoo Valley that it was once inhabited by the 
Kickapoo Indians, but such has not been found to 
be true. At the time of the discovery and settlement 
of this region it was peopled with Winnebagoes. By 
the terms of a treaty with the U. S. government in 
1837 this tribe agreed to remove to the west of the 
"Father of Waters" within eight months. It was 

18 



p 



Oo 




a much longer time before they really made good their 
treaty, but they finally all disappeared from the 
Kickapoo Valley which has not since been the home 
of any Indian tribes. It is some times visited b} r 
small bands of Indians, but even this is getting to be 
rare. 

The Kickapoo River was explored by W. T. 
Sterling in 1832. Mr. Sterling was born at Lexing- 
ton, Ky., in 1808. He came to Wisconsin in 1827. 
He passed through two Indian Wars in Wisconsin 
and shows a wound received at the Battle of Bad Axe. 
He was in the first Territorial Legislature which 
convened at Belmont, W 7 is., and of the second one 
at Burlington, la. He represented Crawford and 
Chippewa Counties in the first and third State 
Legislatures. He now makes his home with his son 
at Petersburg on the Kickapoo. Mr. Sterling is still 
a vigorous old man and remembers much of the 
pioneer days of Wisconsin in which he took a 
prominent and useful part. The writers had an 
interview with him and he very kindly furnished 
the following information: — 

"In 1832 I started out to explore the conn try. My 
home was at Madison, Wis. I went to Prarie du Sac 
and there purchased a large canoe from an Indian. 
In this, accompanied by my wife and two children 
and two white men, I started down the Wiscon- 
sin. I passed down this river until I reached the 
mouth of the Kickapoo. I went up that stream, the 
party camping at the mouth of each tributary until 
I had explored it. The valley was a veritable wild- 
erness, the timber being principally oak in lower 



course and pine in the upper. The river at that time 
contained three times the volume of water that it 
now does. I found some difficulty in getting- the 
canoe through the fallen timber in some places. 
There was an Indian village at Hanev Valley and an 
extensive one at the forks of the Kickapoo. At the 
latter place they had about one hundred acres under 
cultivation. They raised pumpkins, potatoes, 
squashes, and a species of wild tobacco. They manu- 
factured lead which was brought from Galena. The 
bullets used at the battle of Tippecanoe were manu- 
factured at the forks of the Kickapoo. I could speak 
the Indian language fluently at that time and found 
the Indians very friendly. They belonged to the 
Winnebago tribe." 

The earliest white inhabitants were trappers and 
hunters and the men who carried on lumbering. Mr. 
A. M. Rosencrans of Wauzeka, says that the first 
company of trappers was composed of twelve Ger- 
mans who came from New York. They crossed the 
Wisconsin River at Wright's Ferry and went to Coon 
Prairie. Here the party broke up and went to differ- 
ent parts of the Kickapoo Valley. This party of men 
were a rough set and it is said they added the making 
of counterfeit money to their avocation of trapping. 
The company comprised "Dutch Charlie," McBee, 
McFee and Troutwine. 

A little later another lawless company of men 
had their headquarters on what is now the Olson 
farm near Viola. A doctor by the name of Hill 
owned the place and kept a station for a band of 
horse thieves who were thought to operate in Illinois. 

21 




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But the number of honest, law-abiding settlers in- 
creased very rapidly about this time. These people 
wished to make their homes here and did not propose 
that the thieves should go unpunished. The trappers 
emigrated to pastures new, and the citizens assisted 
the officers of the law to capture the horse thieves. 
In 1864 they were sentenced to three years in the 
penitentiary; but, 

"Like the vase in which roses have once been distilled," 
Which though 

"You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will, 
The scent of the roses will cling round it still," 

the names Kickapoo and Kickapoogian have for over 
thirty years been associated in the minds of some 
narrow-minded people with horse thieves. Rather 
should the inhabitants of this Valley have been 
honored for not harboring such persons among them. 

From Mr. Sterling and other sources it was 
learned that Esau Johnson was the first white man 
to go up in the "pinery" to work. The "pinery" 
then extended as far south as Seeleyburg. Mr. John- 
son carried on lumbering all along the Kickapoo but 
settled about two miles above Ontario. The dates 
given us by different people vary so much that it is 
impossible to say just which point was first settled, 
but it is certain that saw-mills were built at Wau- 
zeka, Oays Mills, Readstown and Odin previous to 
1850. 

The earliest settlers we found now living on the 
Kickapoo were Mr. A. M. Rosencrans, of Wauzeka, 
who came to that place in 1846, and Mr. John An- 
derson, a Scotchman, who came to the Kickapoo 
Valley in 1849, and who now lives at Star. 



A touching story of pioneer life was told by Mrs. 
Giles White, of Ontario. She came with her husband 
to the Kickapoo Valley in 1855. She did not see a 
white woman for eight months after landing here. 
The woman she then saw was Mrs. Ostrander of 
Odin, near Rockton. Months after this, Mrs. White 
was taken in a canoe to visit a white woman, Mrs. 
Myron Tuttle, who lived down the river a few miles. 
Mrs. Tuttle had heard of the intended visit and came 
down through the woods toward the river to meet 
them. Although strangers, the two women em- 
braced and kissed each other and wept as if they had 
been sisters. There was no place for the formalities 
of fashionable life in such a wilderness. No matter 
how much Nature may smile, human companionship 
is the dearest thing to the human heart. All hail to 
the brave pioneer women who were deprived of it! 



towns and fiamim. 

Uiola, 



"Beautiful for situation," under the protecting 
shadow of Mount Nebo, lying on both sides of 
the county line, and the center of a rich farming 
district, is almost the geographical center of the 
Kickapoo Valley. 

Among the many citizens of which Viola is 
justly proud, there are none more entitled to respect 
than are the pioneers of the village. Mr. Samuel 
Estes had a hunting shanty below the village at an 
early day, but the first man to settle with his family 
in the near vicinity of the village was Mr. Laal Clift, 
who was followed in a short time by Messrs. Salma 
Rogers, Hartwell Turner, Cyrus D. Turner, Win. 
Turner, J. L. Jackson and John Fuller, with their 
respective families. These people became citizens of 
the Kickapoo Valley in 1854. Mr. Cyrus I). Turner 
assisted by his brother Hartwell, laid out the village 
of Viola in the summer of 1855. The name Viola is 
a tribute to a young lady who had been their 
teacher in New York. The first store was kept by 

25 



Cyrus Turner, and the first saw mill built by H. L. 
Turner. The following year, 1857, H. L. Turner 
erected the first grist mill. These early pioneers 
were intelligent people and within a few T months had 
a school organized and taught by Miss Helen Jack- 
son in a building that also did dut}^ as a dwelling- 
hotise and a store. A church was instituted among 
them at an early day. Rev. Jas. S. Lake acted as 
sponsor to the \iola M. E. Church in 1856. 
Indeed, the residents of Viola have always been 
fond of organizing themselves into bands for the pur- 
poses of systematic benevolence, good fellowship, 
and reform. At the present time the village sup- 
ports many societies beside the churches, Sunday 
School, and other religious bodies. The oldest of 
these societies is the I. 0. 0. F., wmich was organized 
July 23, 1870, with five charter members. At present 
the membership is forty-seven. Two hundred and 
twenty have passed the portals of this lodge since it 
was established. At this writing the N. G. is Mr. 
Salma Rogers, V. G. is Mr. John Schroeder. This 
lodge owns a building worth $2,000, well furnished, 
neat and tasty. 

The Ancient Free and Accepted Masons w r ere 
organized here in Dec. 1892. Present membership 
sixteen, and officers, N. H. Burgor, Master; Jas. 
Treseder, Senior Warden, and A. J.McCarty, Junior 
Warden. 

Castle Rock Camp of Modern Woodmen No. 
2720, was organized Feb. 12, 1895, with ten mem- 
bers. This society represents about $50,000 insur- 
ance. The membership is twenty-seven, and officers, 



J. C. Hull, V. C; N. H. Burgor, Clerk; Jas. Treseder, 
Banker. 

Jerry Turner Post No. 85 Grand Army of the 
Republic, was organized May 24, 1885. Present 
officers, Commander, G. W. Wise; S. V. C, W. P. 
Clift; J. V. C, C. H. Downer. Ks membership num- 
bers 36. 

The Woman's Relief Corps of Viola began its 
existence in May, 1894, and at present numbers 
nineteen members. The president is Mrs. Cena Clift, 
and secretary is Miss Bertha Loveless. 

A secret society including women as well as men 
is known and hailed as Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 29, 
Rebeknh Degree. This society was instituted Oct. 
10, 1889. Membership thirty; officers, Mrs. Cena 
Clift, N. G.; Mrs. Amelia Clark, V. G.; Mrs. R. C. 
Poff, Sec. 

The "White Ribbon Army" of women has been 
represented in Viola since Feb., 1887, when a 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized 
by Miss Amy Kellogg. This society has served the 
people of Viola well in various ways, but in none 
better than in fostering a spirit of piety and devo- 
tion to the right among all wdio have been influenced 
by them. This band of loyal women is led by Mrs. 
Loveless as president and Mrs. Angie Cushman, 
secretary. The offices of president and secretary of 
Richland Co. W. C. T. U. are held by members of the 
Viola Union, Mrs. R. C. Poff, and Miss Kate West, 
respectively. 

The various societies here enumerated show the 
citizens of Viola to be an enterprising people. If there 





• 



Store and Residence of Win. J. Waggoner, Viola. Wis 



28 



were any doubt on the subject, a glance at the 
different places of business and the men who preside 
over them, would dispel it, and a glance at the 
streets on almost any da} r would show that Viola 
commands the trade of a large section of country. 

The mercantile business is done by Wm.J. Wag- 
goner, C. F. Matthews, A. J. Anderson, and C. A. 
Hen thorn carrying general stocks; N. H. Burgor and 
C. F. Matthews with lines of drugs; J as. Treseder, 
hardware and undertaker's supplies; A. W. Guess & 
Son, clothiers; 0. G. Barnes, furniture and under- 
taking; Thaddeus Kendall, groceries, and H. Cal- 
kins, jewelry. 

Hull Bros, with a meat market help to feed the 
five hundred people who live in the village, while A. 
W. Guess of the Viola House and Geo. Gerlach of the 
Commercial House care for the traveling public. 
And if your horses, weary traveler, need to be shod, 
or your wagon or any farm machinery needs repair- 
ing, it can be clone at any one of four blacksmith 
shops. While you are waiting you may have your 
choice of two tonsorial parlors, and should you 
chance to fall sick, either of two physicians, Dr. W. 
E. Belt or Dr. C. M. Poff, will restore you. When 
you are able to leave town, you may get a team 
and fine turnout of either of two livery firms, Bar- 
ber <S: Lay ton, or Earl Truesdale. 

Viola is proud of the work done by our photo- 
grapher, Mr. E. (). Sloulin, proof of whose ability is 
shown by his contributions to this work. The 
various trades are well represented by efficient work- 
men. The millinerv establishment of Mrs. C. F. 



Matthews deserves special mention. A lumber yard 
is just being opened by Hull Bros. The milling in- 
dustries and numerous factories will be spoken of in 
another place. 

The best interests of the community are ma- 
terially advanced by a live newspaper, The Intelli- 
gencer, an eight-page weekly edited by Frazier and 
Frazier. The enterprise was founded in 1890 by Cliff 
M. Wells. After his decease the work was ably 
carried forward by his wife who is now a partner in 
the firm. This office is favorably known over a large 
territory for the fine job work they send out. 

The banking interests are in the hands of an 
able man. The Bank of Viola, owned and operated 
by N. H. Burgor, was established by him in 1891. 
In 1894, Mr. Burgor erected a first class brick build- 
ing into which the banking business was moved. 
The Bank Report for 1896 shows the Bank of Viola 
to have a capital and surplus of $10,000, and the 
total resources to be $24,000. In addition to his 
banking, mercantile and agricultural interests, Mr. 
Burgor deals in real estate and writes insurance. 

Viola has been pronounced by many commercial 
travelers to be the best inland village in the State of 
Wisconsin. We believe this to be true, and also that 
the Kickapoo Valley and Northern Railway Co., 
realizing this, will reach us at the earliest possible 
date. 

Viola is now the northern terminus of the Craw- 
ford County telephone line. Two other lines have 
lately been completed, one of which connects Viola 
with La Crosse, and the other Viola with Richland 
Center. 

30 



3\ 

to ^ 



W 








■ 



m- 



31 



Almost any industry employing honorable means 
and serving an honest purpose would thrive among 
us, but there seems to be an especially good opening 
here for some factory that would finish wood and 
manufacture it in that form. The power furnished 
by the Kickapoo River is unlimited, the wood in its 
native state at hand, the shipping facilities excellent 
when the railroad reaches us in the near future. A 
great deal of poplar wood is shipped from this 
vicinity to the eastern part of state where it is manu- 
factured into paper. There is no reason why the 
finished product might not be shipped instead of the 
raw material. 

Beside the business interests so abl\ r cared for 
by Viola, the educational facilities and social advant- 
ages are matters of comment with all visitors. 

The first business point reached in traveling up 
the river from Viola is 

£a Targe. 

Although small at present time, this place is grow- 
ing in importance. A co-operative store does a large 
business; also Henry Millard, a son of O. H. Millard, 
one of the pioneers of the Kickapoo Valley. 

A short distance above La Farge we come to an 
older settlement popularly known as Seeleyhurg, but 
more properly as 

Star. 

The first land entered in this part of Valley was 
by John Anderson in 1853. As mentioned 

elsewhere, Air. Anderson came to the Kickapoo 
Valley in 1849. He says the country was full 

32 



of Indians and game at that time The game 
consisted of deer, wolf, bear and elk. Purs were sold 
at Prairie du Chien. Among the early settlers were 
Mr. Samuel Green and Richard Lawton who entered 
land in 1854. These gentlemen claim the honor of 
cutting the first road into the Town of Stark from 
the south. Mr. Green is one of the merchants of 
Star. One of his competitors is Mr. Robert Parker, 
an old-time resident. The photographer resident at 
Star is Mr. C. S. Brown. 

The village of Star will not seem a familiar place 
when Mrs. Mariette Blodgette Seeley has passed 
awav. This pioneer woman was born in New York 
in 1812, April 18. Her parents moved to the "Hol- 
land Purchase' ' on the shores of Lake Brie before the 
famous battle at which Commodore Perry was 
victorious, the guns from which she remembers hear- 
ing. She was united in marriage with Dempster 
Seeley in 1843, and immigrated to the Kickapoo Valley 
in 1863. Mr. Seeley bought three hundred acres of 
land and a water power from Mr. John Anderson 
and at once began erecting buildings and preparing 
for the extensive business so long carried on by him. 
Mrs. Seeley is a woman of great physical and mental 
vigor, and possesses the resolution necessary in a 
pioneer country. This was exemplified in the days 
when sectional feeling ran high and brother opposed 
brother. A man of "copperhead" propensities was 
accused of burning the school house because the 
children sung patriotic songs. Mrs. Seeley said the 
school should go on in spite of the ''copperheads,' ' 
and accordingly opened her parlor to the school and 
boarded the teacher free of charge. 



Just where the Kickapoo River winds its way at 

the base of perpendicular cliffs, covered with mosses, 

lichens, ferns and evergreens, is situated the little 
hamlet of 

RocRton. 

The village was platted in 1870. It is situated 
on beautiful, undulating bench land, seventy-five feet 
above the Kickapoo River. 

It numbers about twenty families of as kind 
hearted people as can be found in any community. 
One of the earliest settlers in this region was Eli 
McVey who entered land here in 1866. He had been 
in the Kickapoo Valley for twelve years previous. 
At about the same time, Mr. Van S. Bennett, the 
leading business man of the place, settled in Rock- 
ton. Mr. Bennett bought out a grist mill which 
Messrs. Frank Lawton and Jesse Osborne had be- 
gun, finishing the same. He also built a saw-mill 
that year which he operated for twenty years. In 
1869, a school house was built by Mr. Bennett and 
given to the district in order to have one established. 
Miss Agnes Clift taught the first school. Rockton 
contains two stores, one kept by Mr. Bennett, the 
other by Mr. White, Mr. Bennett has associated 
with him in the flouring mill, Mr. Widmer, a native 
of Switzerland. He is a well-informed man and an 
excellent workman. In 1884 this firm built a new 
flouring mill which enjoys an extensive patronage. 
A hotel and three machine shops complete the list of 
business enterprises in Rockton. The I. O. O. F. and 
the A. F. & A. M. have lodges here. 



To those wishing to learn more of the advant- 
ages enjoyed by this particular localit}', such as 
good timber, pure water, cheap lands of the richest 
virgin soil, healthful climate, mills, schools and 
churches, a cordial invitation is extended to 
correspond with Arnold Widmer, R. P. Dalton, 
Prank Widmer, Sherman McVey, Hugh Dempsey, or 
Van S. Bennett, any one of whom will cheerfully 
answer every question asked. 

Twenty-five miles to the north of Viola, lying 
partly in Monroe and partly in Vernon Counties is 
the village of 

Ontario. 

It was laid out and platted by Mr. Giles White, 
the first settler in this region, in 1857. He had 
entered the land in 1855. For many years he was 
actively engaged in lumbering, milling, farming and 
merchandising. The village has been incorporated 
for some time. The president is Capt. T. B. Mars- 
den. About four hundred people live in Ontario, and 
all classes of business are ably and fully represented. 
Among the early settlers in Ontario was Mr. O. H. 
Millard who entered land in 1856 and took up 
permanent residence there in 1857. In 1858, Mr. 
Millard bought the onlystock of goods in the village 
and kept the only store for a number of years. 

Among the civic societies of Ontario, the James 
Williams Post, Grand Army of the Republic, holds a 
prominent place. The membership is forty-four, the 
Commander, David D. Kyes. Connected with them 
is a Woman's Relief Corps of thirty-five members. 
The president of this body is Mrs. Martha Sandon, 




r i 










c 

S3 



36 



the Senior Vice, Mrs. Emily M. Kyes. These two 
societies meet in a building of their own. 

The I. O. 0. F. have long had a flourishing 
society in Ontario. 

Situated about three miles north of Ontario is 

the hamlet of Oil City and about four miles beyond 

this place lies the village of Wilton. This village is 

so n ©a r to the headwaters of the river as scarcely to 

merit the sobriquet ''Kickapoogian." The town is 

easily reached from outside places by the Chicago 

and Northwestern Railway, the main line of which 

passes through it. 

Journeying to the south from Viola, a three mile 
ride brings one to 

Kiekapoo Center. 

This locality is one of the earliest settled in the Valley. 
Among the first settlers were Robt. Wilson and family. 
At that time, Kiekapoo Center gave promise of being 
the metropolis of this region, but other places out- 
distanced it. At present there is little but a post 
office, a church, and a school to mark the spot. 

Two miles below Kiekapoo Center is the post 
office of Manning. 

Eight miles below Viola is the village of 

Reaastown, 

Daniel Read laid out and platted the village 
in 1855. There was quite a settlement here at that 
time Mr. Read having settled here in 1848, he at 
once built a saw-mill, and in a few years a grist mill, 
which is still standing and is now being repaired by 
Craigo & Pomeroy. The first store was kept by 

37 



Wm. Austin. In 1855, Albert Bliss built a store and 
hotel. The business established by Mr. Bliss has 
been continued by some member of his family until 
two 3^ears since, when ill health compelled Wm. A. 
Bliss to remove to Colorado. Mercantile business 
is carried on in the old stand, however, by John E. 
Silbaugh. 

Perhaps no one on the Kickapoo has been more 
widely known and universally loved for sterling 
virtues and kindly disposition than has "Grandma 
Bliss," the wife of Albert Bliss. Her home for the 
last few years has been with her daughter in Mil- 
waukee, but every summer found Grandma among 
her old neighbors and friends. She loved them and 
loved the scenes where she spent the best years of 
her life. The sorrow at her death a few days since 
was as wide spread as her acquaintance had been. 

Readstown is at present the northern terminus 
of the K. V. & N. R. R. We understand it expects to 
take on a great boom. At this writing, the village 
contains three general stores, two hotels, a grist 
mill and a blacksmith shop. The inhabitants num- 
ber about two hundred and fifty. 

Soldiers Grove, 

twelve miles below Viola, was laid out in 1866. 
It was incorporated in 1886, with J. 0. Davidson as 
first president. A mill was built at this point in 
1855 by Jos. Brightman. 

The growth of Soldiers Grove has not been 
phenomenal, but has been a steady progression with 
no retrograde movement. It could not be otherwise 



with the energetic and yet careful business men who 
have been at the helm for a number of years. 
Soldiers Grove is an example of what may be ac- 
complished in the way of building up a town when 
the citizens are liberal minded enough to aid public 
enterprises and to take pride in seeing the community 
as a whole prosper. The business men of this town 
have carried out the policy that the interest of each 
is best served by the prosperit}- of all. The popula- 
tion is about five hundred, the majority of whom 
are of Norwegian birth or extraction. 

The list of business concerns is a long one. 
General stores are kept by J. 0. Davidson, Oley 
Knutson, T. Peterson and Wm. Willis The village 
post office is kept in the store of Mr. Willis. Mr. 
Knutson's store is known as the "Pioneer Store." 
Previous to the establishment of his house, small 
stocks had been kept by different parties, but Mr. 
Knutson "has continued to this present time." He 
is now president of the village of Soldiers Grove. 

In addition to the above are two drug stores, 
two groceries, two hardware stores, three hotels 
and two or three restaurants. The medical pro- 
fession is well represented by Dr. Sime, Dr. Dinsdale 
and Dr. Brown; the legal by Manning & Campbell. 
The proprietor of the Bank of Soldiers Grove is Alley 
Peterson. The Advance, a weekly newspaper, is 
ably edited by Cole Brothers. 

In the manufacturing line we find three saw 
mills, one grist mill, four blacksmith shops, two 
wagon factories, an excelsior factory, a cheese fac- 
tory and a creamery. 



Soldiers Grove people prefer light rather than 
darkness, so on Jan. 1, 1894, the Electric Light Co. 
was organized. Officers, Atley Peterson, president; 
Fay P. Briggs, treasurer; T. N. Sime, manager. 
The power is obtained from the water power of xhe 
Soldiers Grove Hardwood Mills. The company 
owns a plant worth $2000 exclusive of the power. 
The incandescent system of lighting is used. On the 
streets are fifty and thirty-two candle power lights. 
Practically all the business houses and a great many 
residences are furnished with electric light. 

Soldiers Grove has in times past suffered from 
disastrous fires. This led to the formation in 1890 
of Soldiers Grove Fire Co. No. 1. Its members num- 
ber twenty-six. They have a hand engine which, 
together with hook and ladder and 500 feet of hose, 
cost $1,100. W. H. Slightum is chief. This depart- 
ment has served the village well on two special 
occasions. The engine is housed in a fire proof 
building owned by the village. The upper story is 
used as a village hall. 

With increasing prosperity and good educational 
and church facilities, the people are contented and 
happ}^. 

These enterprising people do not feel inclined to 
erect a Chinese wall around their advantages but 
will welcome to their midst any legitimate under- 
taking. 

Following down the Kickapoo River from 
Soldiers Grove brings one to 

Gays mills, 

distant from Viola about twenty miles. Thisisonc of 



the most promising locations on the Kickapoo River. 
A saw mill was erected here by Jas. B. Gay as early 
as 1848. He was attracted by the water power at 
this point which, having a solid rock foundation 
together with the reliability of the stream and 
abundant supply of water, is unsurpassed. At 
present there is no saw mill here, but the water 
power is utilized by a flouring mill owned by J. A. 
Haggerty and operated by J. G. Robb and Frank 
Only. The mill was erected in 1865 by J. M. Gay, 
but in 1883 was enlarged from a story and a half in 
height to three stories. This mill has always done 
an extensive business and is noted for the excellence 
of its work. It has a capacity of seventy -five barrels 
per day and is usually in operation night and day. 

There never was any attempt made to found a 
town here until after the building of the railroad. 
The village was platted Sept. 19, 1892, by Thos. W. 
Gay, S. H. Robb, Jas. A. Robb and Orrin P. Rounds, 
and recorded Dec. 10, 1892. It now has 140 in- 
habitants. 

The leading business firm of the place is The 
King & Haggerty Co., who deal in general merchan- 
dise, and buy and ship grain, live stock, railroad 
ties, cord wood, etc. D. M. Twining & Son do an 
extensive business in a lumber yard, this being the 
only one between Soldiers Grove and Wauzeka. 
Beside The King & Haggerty Co.'s store there is 
another general store; also a hardware store, a 
meat market, a harness shop, wagon shop, gun 
smithy, blacksmith shop, a butter-tub factory and a 
creamerv . 



Gays Mills is very prettily situated, and the 
region has long been the home of many cultured 
families. 

Bell Center, 

two miles below Gays Mills, was once thought 
to be the coming town, but those who invested 
money in village property there have reason to 
be disappointed. Although the home of many 
good intelligent people, the business outlook is not 
very bright. The best paying industry of the village 
is a stave mill owned by a compan}^. A good 
graded school is maintained. The K. V. & N. R. R. 
have a platform and warehouse at Bell Center and 
trains now stop there. 

Twenty-four miles south of Viola at 

Petersburg, 

is a fine location for a town. Its natural ad- 
vantages are all that could be desired. The Kicka- 
poo Valley is here crossed by a valley extending from 
the Wisconsin River at Boscobel north westward to 
the Mississippi River at Lynxville. 

Petersburg is the geographical center of Craw- 
ford County and has been voted by the County Con- 
vention to be the site of the county seat. The legal 
proceedings are not finished so that no steps have 
yet been taken toward the erection of the necessary 
buildings. 

A telephone line from Prairie du Chien to Lynx- 
ville connects at this point with the one extending 
up the Kickapoo Valley from Wauzeka. This is the 
central station of the County. They bridge here for 




44 



north, south, east and west. A line passing through 
Mount Sterling runs from Ferry ville to Petersburg. 
The Boscobel line also connects here. 

Another advantage given to Petersburg by the 
Kickapoo River is a fine water power with solid 
rock foundation. It has not yet been harnessed to 
machinery and the opportunity is open for some in- 
dustrious man to make a fortune. 

A steam flouring mill has been in operation for 
some time. One of the best cheese factories in the 
county is located here. It is owned by Lawrence & 
Long. 

Other enterprises are a saw mill and blacksmith 
shop. 

South of Petersburg the valley becomes narrower 
and as the river itself is very crooked, the valley is 
winding. The railroad follows the valley, but in 
traveling with a team, at certain points one usually 
crosses the ridge bordering the river, thus shorten- 
ing the journey. 

Wherever a stream enters the river, the bin lis 
recede, and in the expansions thus formed lie some of 
the finest farms in the state, notably Haney Valley 
and Citron Valley. Each of these valleys is shaped 
like a horseshoe and about six miles in length. No 
fairer rural scene can be found in any land than a 
view of Haney Valley showing the fine farm and 
buildings of J. I). Haskins with a school house and a 
church conveniently located. Mr. Haskins and Mr. 
Hamilton of Citron Valley were the first men in this 
part of the country to import fine stock. Mr. 
Haskins raises draft horses and short horns, while 

i.- 



Mr. Hamilton raises driving horses and Herefords. 
Both ship to eastern markets. 

Although portions of this region were among the 
earliest settled and many prosperous farmers occu- 
pied the valley, there were no villages between Peters- 
burg and Wauzeka before the advent of the railroad. 
In 1891 a saw-mill was put in three miles below the 
mouth of Haney Valley by P. A. Lathrop, and a gro- 
cery by C. W. Lathrop. 

From this beginning has grown the village of 

Barnum, 

which was platted in 1892. The population at 
present numbers one hundred and twenty. 

Beside the saw-mill mentioned there is a stave 
factory and a creamery, the last named being valued 
at $3,500 and owned by an association composed of 
thirty-five farmers. In the mercantile business are 
two firms with general stocks and one with groceries 
only. 

A society of I. O. 0. F. was organized with forty- 
six members in Nov. 1894, and one of I. 0. G. F. with 
thirty members in 1896. The Odd Fellows own a 
building which is used for church and Sunday school 
purposes. Barnum is about twenty-nine miles from 
Viola. 

A journey of about five miles southward from 
Barnum, in the course of which the ridge is crossed, 
brings one to the lively little town of 

Steuben, 

The land now occupied by the village was entered in 



1856 or 57 by John T. Farris,by whom Steuben was 
platted in 1892. 

The ever present saw-mill is here duplicated, there 
being two of them. A planing and feed mill, a cream- 
ery, a harness shop, two blacksmith shops, a wagon 
shop, a hotel, and three general stores, comprise the 
list of business undertakings. 

ttlauzeKa 

is said to be distant from Steuben in a straight 
line six miles, by the wagon road ten miles, by rail 
thirteen, and by the river fifteen. Not having an air 
ship the writers did the next best thing — traveled 
the wagon road. 

When Mr. A. M. Rosencrans came to Wauzeka 
in 1846 there was nothing here but a government 
post for the supply of Ft. Crawford where Prairie 
du Chien now stands. The post included all of the 
section on which the village is now built. The first 
man to take a claim where Wauzeka now stands 
was John Beary. He soon sold out to John McClurg. 
We were not able to find out when the village was 
laid out, but it was incorporated in 1892 with W. A. 
Chatterton as first president. The present incum- 
bent is Dr. Per rin. 

Situated at the mouth of the Kickapoo River and 
at the junction of the Kickapoo Valley and Northern 
R. R. with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R. R., 
Wauzeka possesses advantages which are appreciated 
by her citizens. The usual shops, stores and factories 
are found here. 

One of the most alive enterprises the town poss- 
esses is a newspaper edited by Howe & Thompson. 



This paper has the euphonious title of Kickapoo 
Chief. The young men who edit it are deserving of 
much credit for having built up an extensive business 
in a place where their competitors in other towns 
prophesied failure. 

To the visitor, the most striking feature of the 
town is the fine artesian wells. There are several of 
them, one of which throws a stream fifty three feet 
into the air. The K. V. & N. R. R. Co. own one with 
a force at the surface of fifteen pounds to the square 
inch. 

Surely there can be no doubt in the minds of the 
readers of this book as to the Kickapoo Valley being 
a well-watered region. One has only to recall the 
numerous springs and brooks and then add the flow- 
ing wells which now exist at Wauzeka, Soldiers 
Grove, Seeleyburg and Oil City to be convinced of the 
fact. 

This necessarily brief review of the time of settle- 
ment and of the trading and manufacturing firms of 
the towns in the Kickapoo Valley shows that the 
region is far from being a wilderness, and that the 
inhabitants are not below the average in intelligence 
and enterprise. The schools, churches and social 
conditions in general have been reserved for other 
chapters. 

The entire region has been settled for years. The 
assessed valuation in 1895 of the Townships border- 
ing on or intersected by the Kickapoo River, as 
equalized by their respective County Boards, is 
$1,664,784.05. It is the custom in these counties to 
assess property at about half its worth; so the real 



valuation of property in the Kickapoo Valley is over 
three million of dollars. 

The tide of emigration which has noisily rolled 
West for twenty years past has distracted attention 
from this as well as from all other parts of Wiscon- 
sin, yet there is no locality on earth in this latitude 
possessing- more or higher advantages for farmers, 
manufacturers, mechanics or in fact any persons who 
desire to win honest bread by honest effort. 

Inquiry was made in person at the Land Office in 
the Capitol at Madison and the fact corroborated 
that "Uncle Sam" has no land in the Kickapoo 
Valley. Persons desiring to locate here will have to 
purchase or rent real estate. Prices are reasonable 
and new comers will find the people cordial and hos- 
pitable. 



Cbc Railroad. 



In the year 1889, a company was incorporated 
for the purpose of building a railroad through the 
Kickapoo Valley from mouth to source, under the 
name of the Kickapoo Valley & Northern Railway 
Company. The construction of a road-bed was soon 
afterward commenced and was completed between 
the village of Wauzeka, at the mouth of the Kick- 
apoo river, to the village of Soldiers Grove, con- 
tinuing the entire distance, thirty-four miles, in the 
year 1892. Trains were at once put in active opera- 
tion over the line, one train each way being run 
daily, except Sunda}^, ever since. During the sum- 
mer of 1896 the line was extended from Soldiers 
Grove to Readstown, making the entire length of 
the line thirty-nine miles. 

The railroad has been a great blessing to the 
people of the valley and a large tributary table land 
on either side. It has developed the country it tra- 
verses and the tributaries thereto; it has helped to 
build up prosperous villages along the route and 
caused the entire valley to assume greater activity. 

The road passes through the very poorest part 
of the valley, generally hugging the river bank, 
where the land is low and mostly unsuited for culti- 



1- k 




vation, yet there arc thousands of acres of both 
valley and table lands on either side that have been 
partially developed into beautiful, fertile farms, with 
prosperous happy homes, occupied and owned by a 
class of people, mostly Americans, who are honest, 
intelligent, industrious, progressive, religious and 
patriotic. 

Some twenty years ago a survey was made from 
Wauzeka to Toman, and a narrow gauge grade 
was built through to Bloomingclale, that being the 
end of the work and the project; but why the un- 
timely demise of so useful and laudable an enterprise, 
the writers are unable to say. Large corporations 
controling old established lines, finally built rail- 
roads all around us and forced the trade to go to 
them, and also advanced every discouragement and 
placed every obstacle possible in the way of all 
efforts to build a railroad through the Kickapoo 
Valley. The people imbued with the spirit of thrift 
and progression, naturally possessed strong con- 
victions that the time would come when railroad faci- 
lities would be their next door neighbor and through 
every discouragement held tenaciously to their faith. 
The years rolled by until the 2nd day of May, 1889, 
when the Kickapoo Valley & Northern Railway 
Company was organized under the laws of the 
State of Wisconsin, to build and maintain a rail- 
road through the Kickapoo Valley. The incorpor- 
ators of the company were E. I. Kidd, of Prairie du 
Chien; W. H. Bennett, of Baraboa; B. F. Washburn, 
of Excelsior; Ole H. Dahl, of Soldiers Grove; J. 0. 
Davidson, of Soldiers Grove; A. C. V. Elston, of 



Muscoda, and W. S. Manning, of Muscoda. 

The first survey was made immediately after the 
organization in 1889, from Wauzeka to Readstown. 
At the election of officers in 1890, E. R. Burpee, of 
Bangor, Maine, was made president and the former 
officers were re-elected. The survey was then con- 
tinued through to Wilton. There was great rejoic- 
ing along the proposed line and exclamations of the 
good time is coming were heard on all sides, but the 
work progressed slowly and sometimes with uncer- 
tainty. 

During the years 1891 and 1892 the road was 
built and equipped from Wauzeka to Soldiers Grove. 
The first trains began running May 29, 1892, and 
shortly after the railroad company received the 
contract for carrying United States mail; the United 
States Express Company also established offices 
along the new line and have done a thriving busi- 
ness ever since. 

From July 1st, 1892, to June 30th, 1893, there 
were 25,985,016 pounds of freight handled on this 
road, of which, 21,921,881 pounds originated on 
that line and 1,063,135 pounds came from the con- 
necting line. During the corresponding twelve 
months of 1895 and 1896, there were 41,763,375 
pounds of freight handled, of which 37,334,543 
pounds originated on the K. V. & N. line and 4,428,- 
832 pounds came from the connecting line, a gain in 
the amount of business over the first year of 15,798,- 
359 pounds, or about 40 per cent, increase. 

The track is standard guage; the road bed is 
smooth and in first-elass condition, and the iron 



monster now comes daily puffing and snorting np 
and down the Kickapoo Valley, bearing human life, 
products of the soil and human skill to their res- 
pective destinations, and the rumble of the car wheel 
is sweet music to those who have so long waited for 
its advent. 

The extension of the Kickapoo Valley & Northern 
Railway from Readstown to Viola is practically as- 
sured by the company's managers and this fact is 
stimulating business and trade conditions at Viola 
and still further up the valW. Much timber is being 
gotten out and large fertile farms carved out of our 
heavy forests. 



5 i 



manufacturing Industries. 

The chief industry of the Kickapoo Valley is to- 
day what it has been from the beginning, agricul- 
ture, although other profitable and important in- 
dustries are continually springing up. 

The first source of income to the pioneer was 
from the product of our magnificent forests, and 
the timber and lumber business have at all times 
been an extensive and profitable industry of the peo- 
ple. Our first settlers were hardy easterners and 
they immigrated West to build homes for their fami- 
lies and lay up fortunes. This valley was at that 
time so thickly wooded it was difficult for a footman 
to penetrate it. The industrious pioneer concluded 
that where such dense forests grew a very fertile 
soil must feed them, and their reasoning was well 
founded as has since been proven. The variety of 
timber found here has been mentioned in a preced- 
ing chapter, an abundance of which, especially the hard 
wood, remains yet and is of good size and excellent 
quality. 

Early settlers immediately set about the labor- 
ious task of laying low the forest, converting the 
trees into logs which they floated down the Kickapoo 
River and on to the Mississippi to Iowa and points 

55 



south, where they found a good market. In the 
course of time sawmills were imported and located 
at different points along the river, which affords 
ample water power for manufacturing purposes. 
These mills manufactured logs into many different 
grades of lumber, Avhich w r as rafted out and disposed 
of as the finished product at remunerative prices. To- 
day the whole valley is dotted with steam saw mills, 
in addition to the regular water power mills, which 
furnish labor for many hundred men and produce var- 
ious kinds of lumber and timber that met with ready 
sale. The great drawback to this timber industry, 
is that the lumber is very much injured by water 
when rafted to market, and the distance to haul 
to the railroad has been so great that it could not 
be handled with sufficient profit against competing 
sections where railroad facilities have aided them. 

Railroad ties are handled extensively, many firms 
buying from 40,000 to 125,000 ties yearly and raft- 
ing them down the Kickapoo River. A. C. Cushman 
& Sons of Viola, for man}- years owned and operated 
two saw mill plants located at different points in 
Viola, and from their books we learn that they 
handled many thousands every year and some years 
over 100,000 ties, besides a large log and lumber 
business. The Cushman estate now operate these 
mills which are typical of those along the river and all 
over the valley. We also find stave and heading mills, 
excelsior mills and hoop-pole factories. A. J. Mc- 
Carty has a hoop-pole factory and cooper shop in 
Viola and docs a good business annually, manufac- 
turing and shipping many thousand hoops yearly 



and makes and ships a large number of barrels which 
net him a neat sum. Huffman Brothers have recent- 
ly located a stave and sawmill in Viola and are pre- 
pared to handle thousands of feet of lumber and hun- 
dreds of thousands of stave bolts. 

A very valuable industry is the flouring mills and 
we find one or more at almost every village in the 
valley. These are without exception the best im- 
proved system of roller mills and draw to each point 
of location a large trade from a great scope of 
country. In Viola we have two roller flouring mills. 
The A. C. Cushman estate owns one with a capacity 
of 100 barrels per clay and Wm. J. Waggoner is pro- 
prietor of the other which has a capacity of 35 
barrels. These compare favorably with other mills 
spoken of at the different towns of the valley in 
another chapter. The products of these mills are 
found on sale in every village and town in the 
valley and also in the towns and villages up on 
the high lands and many miles out of the valley 
where they come in direct competion with the prod- 
ucts of other mills, but their fine qualities keep them 
at par with other brands and they find ready sale at 
all times. 

As a dairy country the Kiekapoo Valley cannot 
be surpassed in Wisconsin, and our citizens arc rapid- 
ly drifting in that direction . The hillsides are being 
cleared of underbrush and converted into grazing 
lands, which, rid of the undergrowth, yield an abund- 
ance of wholesome grasses that are relished by cattle 
and they thrive as well or better upon these grass lands 
as they do upon clover meadows. New creameries 



\ s 

i I 




and cheese factories are annually being built, con- 
taining the latest improved machinery and operated 
by men skilled in butter and cheese making. A num- 
ber of these are with both kinds of machinery, mak- 
ing this industry profitable the entire year, and 
manufacture the product which brings to their pat- 
rons the best returns. The cheese factory at Viola is 
owned by J. C. Hull, and W. N. Miller is the cheese 
maker. This factory is only operated during the 
summer season, but the dairy men keep it busy dur- 
ing that part of the year. The number of pounds of 
milk delivered at this factory in 1895 was 827,845; 
number of pounds cheese made, 83,030; amount of 
money received, $5,985.05; the average price per 
pound being $0,072. 

Ontario is one of the many Kickapoo villages 
that has a creamery with a capacity of 6,000 pounds 
of milk per day and we were informed that within a 
radius of six miles of that village five cheese factories 
were located. 

The census reports for 1895 show the value of 
milch cows in the towns through which the Kickapoo 
River passes to be $163,222; the number of pounds of 
butter made, 700,449; value of butter, $85,964. The 
total number of cattle and calves in these towns was 
17,548 valued at $212,155. 

Although not as many sheep are to be found in 
the Kickapoo country as there used to be when wool 
commanded a good price, yet it is no poor sho wing- 
by any means. During the year 1895 our sheep num- 
bered 52,834 and produced a wool clip of 127,604 
pounds, which at the former price of wool would 



have netted our sheep growers the neat sum of over 
$30,000 besides the natural increase of the herds. 

Our farmers raise a few hogs occassionally as the 
following figures will show: The town above men- 
tioned raised 31,017 hogs in 1895 and their market 
value was over $265,170. To feed this stock upon 
we produced in these towns in 1895, 307,342 bushels 
of corn; 592,335 bushels of oats and of wheat 132,- 
776 bushels. These figures show that our people are 
industrious, prosperous, intelligent, capable of con- 
ducting their business as ably as those in other sec- 
tions with greater opportunities. 

Tobacco is raised in portions ofthe valley in pay- 
ing quantities. Soldiers Grove has a tobacco ware- 
house which is used for sorting and storing tobacco 
and a large force of men are employed for this work 
during the winter months. E. H. Gochenaur is pro- 
prietor ofthe Viola Cigar factory which manufac- 
tures from 60,000 to 100,000 cigars annually. Seven 
different brands are made and disposed of as fast as 
they are ready for market. 

The numerous iron and steel bridges that span 
the Kickapoo River from source to mouth are a pro- 
duct of the valley almost wholly. With few excep- 
tions, Tim merman Brothers, of Ontario, constructed 
these bridges, and from Mr. Herman Timmerman we 
obtained our information in regard to this industry. 
Some twenty years ago Herman and Delbert Tim- 
merman formed a partnership under the name of 
Timmerman Brothers, and built most ofthe wooden 
bridges across the upper Kickapoo, closely following 
that time, but have since replaced them with sub- 



stantial iron and steel bridges in many instances. In 
the fall of 1895 Delbert Tim merman died, and since 
that time the other brother has been sole proprietor 
and continued the business as before. All iron is 
bought in the rough and is cut and fitted at the shop 
in Ontario, where all plans, drafts and estimates are 
made. And the old Kickapoo river turns the wheels 
that drill the steel. From six to ten men are em- 
ployed the entire year. There are more iron and 
steel bridges across the Kickapoo River than any 
other stream of its length in Wisconsin. 



63 



Agricultural Products, 

The soil in the Kickapoo Valley is a sandy loam 
and on either side is clay. The growing season opens 
about the first of April and closes abont October 
first, giving ample time for all crops to mature. 

Any of the products of the middle temperate 
zone thrive in the Kickapoo Valley. The farmer has, 
therefore, a wide range from which to choose. 

Each raises a variety of vegetables for his own 
consumption and for marketing. The principal crop, 
however, is feed for stock — corn, oats and hay, to- 
gether with some millet and barley. Fall wheat is 
alsogrowm. Potatoes are an important crop. Many 
farmers sow peas for feeding to hogs. 

Whatever kind of seed is put into the ground is 
sure to bring a bountiful return. Corn produces from 
40 to 60 bushels to the acre, oats from 50 to 80, hay 
from IV2 to 3 tons, clover about 2, millet from 3 to 
5 tons, wmeat and rye from 15 to 30 bushels. Two 
crops of hay are sometimes cut in one year. Potatoes 
produce from one to three hundred bushels per acre. 
Clover seed is a profitable crop, about two bushels 
to the acre being the average. The hay raised in the 
valley is almost always timothy, while on the up- 
lands it is a mixture of timothy and clover or clover 
alone. 



s 






I 



r* 



IP 









The advantages for stock raising cannot be over- 
estimated. The abundance of nutritious grass which 
grows everywhere, the hills which keep off the strong 
winds and prevent snow drifts in winter, and the fact 
that there is scarcely a quarter section of land in the 
whole valley that has not on it living water, all com- 
bine to make the Kickapoo Valley one of the best re- 
gions for live stock in the United States. 

Cattle and hogs are most numerous although 
sheep and horses are extensively raised. The climate 
and soil are peculiarly adapted to sheep, foot-rot and 
scab being unknown among them. The hillsides seem 
just suited to them and the higher they can get the 
better they like it. Notwithstanding this, the low 
price at which wool has been for the past few years 
has driven many farmers out of the sheep industry. 
Dairy stock is taking the place of sheep. There are 
many herds of Jersey cattle in the Kickapoo Valley and 
scarcely a farmer but has from one to rive. Mr. John 
Sellars, near Viola, has a fine herd of Herefords. 

Beside the cattle raised for dairying purposes 
many are raised for shipping. Hull Bros, and Ander- 
son Bros., both of Viola, within last ten months have 
shipped about 100 car loads of live stock, mostly 
cattle and hogs. 

Among the fruits, the small varieties of apples do 
well in the lowlands and the large varieties on the 
high land. Plums, grapes and all kinds of berries 
are native, the cultivated sorts producing excellent 
crops. 

Last but not least either in quantity or quality is 
honey. The Kickapoo Valley is noted as being the 



best honey producing' region in south-western Wis- 
consin. In twenty-one years, there has been but one 
failure. The average crop is 100 pounds to the 
colom-. The main honey-producing plants in the 
valley are bass wood and white clover. 

Mr. A.J. McCarty, proprietorof Viola Apiary, is 
the owner of about two hundred and fifty colonies. 

In short, no more productive country can be 
found in this state. There is practically not an un- 
productive acre, and farmers looking for a new loca- 
tion, where crops are sure, and soil capable of sup- 
porting anything he may choose to grow, will do 
well to examine the Kickapoo Valley. 



»?K 




r,r, 



Religious history. 



Fifty years have elapsed since the first settlement 
in what is called the Kickapoo Country, yet religions 
meetings are found among the records of these primi- 
tive settlers. In some instances the first services 
were held at the homes of members, but soon meet- 
ing houses were erected, and these first churches were 
invariably built of logs, some of which were un- 
hewn. 

It was in these rude houses that those today who 
are the worshipers of Him, who gave his son to die 
for a perishing world, had the foundation of their 
faith laid. Let us ever cherish a fond remembrance 
of the pioneer mother and father who settled in this 
valley, and through their love for the "Rose of 
Sharon" and the "Lily of the Valley" have given us 
a type of Christianity that should never be effaced. 
The poet hath well said: 

When we see the flower seed wafted 
From the nurturing mother tree, 
Tell we can, wherever planted, 
What the harvesting will be; 
Never from the blasting thistle 
Was there gathe'd golden grain. 
Thus the seal the child receiveth 
From its parents will remain. 

<»7 



The truth of the above has been verified in the . 
descendents of the pioneer settlers of this valley. 
Hundreds of structures with all the modern con- 
veniences, now have taken theplace of the rude houses 
of the pioneers, and are filled each first day of the week 
with devout worshipers. The Sunday Schools, Ep- 
worth Leagues, Young People's Society of Christian 
Endeavor and mid-week prayer meetings all pro- 
claim to the world, the moral and religious character 
of the present inhabitants of the Kickapoo Valley. 
We herewith submit a brief summary of the church 
work as taken from the records at the points where 
churches are established throughout the valley — and 
this does not permit of a fair showing, for many resi- 
dents of the valley have their membership with 
churches on the ridges and they are not included in 
this list. However, the point we wish to prove is 
that the gospel has been preached in this valley and 
a glorious response has been the result for the past 
forty 3 r ears or more. 

The following denominations are represented by 
organizations: Adventist, Baptist, Congregational, 
Christian, Catholic, Methodist, United Brethren and 
Lutheran. 

The first organized class at Viola, was the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, in the year 1858. Rev. G. W. * 
Nuzum was the preacher in charge with John Fuller 
as leader of nine members, viz: John Fuller and wife, 
Salma Rogers and wife, Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Turner, 
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hull and Mrs. Lyman Jackson. 

The erection of the church was commenced in the 
spring of 1877, under charge of Rev. A. F. Thompson, 



pastor, and Rev. J. D. Searls, presiding elder. The 
first board of trustees elected was R. A. Tubbs, Dr. 
R. H. DeLap, J. B. Snow, G. H. Tate and Wm. J. 
Waggoner. The present membership of this church 
is 33. Valuation of church property $1,200. A 
Sunday School has alwaj-s been well supported here. 
A society of Christian Endeavor was organized on 
March 24, 1890, by Rev. Scoville, with twenty-five 
active and ten associate members. The first officers 
were; Rose B. Poff, president; Frank Lepley, secretary; 
John Lowrey, treasurer. The society now has 
twenty-nine active and nine associate members. 
$213.83 have been raised by them which have been 
divided between home and foreign mission after pay- 
ing their incidental expenses. The Methodists have 
been the only church organization here, although 
Evangelists from different societies have preached 
here at various times, until January, 1895, the Christ- 
ians organized a class of twenty members; they have 
no house of worship, but have supported a preacher 
for one-fourth of his time during the past year, and 
have purchased a lot valued at $150.00, on which to 
build a church. The next point above Viola where 
we find churches and regular services, is Star; here 
we find a Methodist Church was organized in 1867, 
by C. M. Cunningham, and the first pastor sent 
from conference was Rufus Fancher. In 1871, a 
church was built which is valued at $1,200. Their 
membership is 40. A flourishing Sunday School is 
found here and other auxiliaries of church work . The 
Seventh Day Adventists, also have a church at this 
place, which was organized July 19, 1890, with 22 




Hopewell Church near Viola. United Brethern Church at Ontario. 

Lutheru Church at Soldiers Grove 
Kou.au Catholic Church at Waazeka. Methodist Episcopal Church at Viola 

70 



members and R.J. White, church elder. Their members 
now number 55; .the church property is valued at 
$800.00. From here we go up the valley to Ontario, 
where we find several religious socities in and near 
the village. The Baptist is the oldest organization. 
This dates back to January 15, 1859, with Rev. B. S. 
Tuttle, organizer and ten charter members, viz: Mr. 
and Mrs. M. V. Stedman, Martin Curtis, Mrs. Caro- 
line White, Mrs. Ellen Sandon, Robert Sandon, Wm. 
Sandon, Samuel Groyn, Sarah Scvereign and Martha 
Stedman. From February 12, 1871, until May, 1885, 
the pastor was W. F. Philips, and it was with great 
sorrow the announcement of his death, which occured 
April 4, 1893, was received. The members now 
number 38 in this church and the Christian Endeavor 
Society which was organized April 5, 1894, has a 
membership of 40. Mr. E. L. Duxburv, is president of 
this prosperous society. The Sunday School at this 
church has an average attendance of 50. The church 
is an old one and the building is only valued at 
$800.00. The Christian Church at this point is some 
two or three miles out of the village, and we were 
unable to examine the records, but gained the infor- 
mation that this denomination organized a class 
many years ago and now have 40 members on the 
church book. Wm. Downing is superintendent of 
the Sunday School at this church and reports 35 
scholars as attending the school. The Christian En- 
deavor Society of this church has 30 active members 
of which E. Boldon is president. The church is 
worth $1,200. The United Brethern organized 
at Ontario in 1891, by Elder A. W. Whitney; 



the society possesses a fine new building which was 
dedicated February 16, 1896. The estimated cost of 
the house is $1,800.00; their members number 67 
and this church has service twice every Sunday. A 
Young People's Christian Union was organized in 
the spring of 1896, with Mr. Ed. Stackman, presi- 
dent. The society meets every Sunday at 7 p. m. 
Sunday School at this church is attended by about 
30 scholars. Three miles east of Viola, on Camp 
Creek, is a church which was built by the Baptist 
Societ} r more than 25 years ago, and for many years 
a prosperous class met and worshiped there, but 
removal and death took off almost the entire list of 
members; services were discontinued and the church 
house run down. About six years ago the Christian 
church repaired the house, organized a class and have 
held services there once a month regularly. In the 
spring of 1896 the Congregational Society, through 
the efforts of Evangelist John Willan, organized a 
class at this point and they meet and hold their ser- 
vices in this same house, at least once a month. This 
church property is worth about $600. One of the 
early religious societies of this section was a class 
which was organized in the 50's and met some two 
miles east of Viola, in what is known as Bender's 
Hollow; this class has moved on to the ridge and or- 
ganized as the United Brethren Church; in 1889 a 
church edifice costing about $2,000 was built, a 
picture of which will be found in this book as the 
Hopewell United Brethren Church. The membership 
here is 60. Going down the valley from Viola we 
find at Kickapoo, some four miles distant, that 



Elder Isaac Sanborn organized the Seventh Day 
Adventist's class in 1871, which now numbers 43 
members. In 1881, the present church building was 
erected at a cost of $1,000. Two or three miles from 
Kickapoo in a settlement which has a post office 
named Manning, is a new church that has not been 
dedicated. It is the First Congregational Church 
and the class was organized by Rev. Dixon, of Yirocpia; 
Wm. Crawford, of Sparta; Philo Hitchcock, of West 
Salem; Wm. A. Griffith, Lynxville; Homer H. Carter, 
Beloit and C. H. Merrill, July 10, 1895, and in less 
than a year a good house was erected; the members 
number 20 and the Sunday School has an average 
attendance of 40; the church property is valued at 
$000. Readstown is about four miles below Mann- 
ing, and the Methodist Episcopal Church has sent 
ministers to Readstown since the time the village was 
laid out. A class was organized in 1876 by Rev. 
McMillan who now resides on Fancy Creek. A re- 
organization was made by Jas. Phelps in 1881, with 
17 members and in 1882, the present house of wor- 
ship was erected. The lot had been deeded to the M. 
E. Church in 1860, by Daniel Read. The church prop- 
erty is valued at about $400. 

The Olive Branch Christian Church, was organ- 
ized at Readstown, July 22, 1866, by J. Mark, Jacob 
Felton, Samuel Poff, and John J. Poff. Dr. C. M. 
Poff was the first clerk. This society owned a church 
a mile or more out of the village where they met for 
several years, but later moved their church furnish- 
ings into a building erected by the Methodist people 
and both the Christians and Methodists worshiped 



in this house for years. A re-organization was made 
March 15, 1896, by Elder McNees and Elder Jones, 
with 22 members. At Soldiers Grove an M. E. church 
was organized in 1861, by Rev. Brakman of West 
Wisconsin conference with about 15 members. In 
1879, a re-organization was made by Rev. D. Gander 
with 12 members; the church was again re-organized 
in 1891, by Nathan Bradley with 3 members. The 
present membership is 60; a spacious house of wor- 
ship has been erected, the corner stone was laid 
August 8, 1892, and first service held in the church 
January 1, 1893. $1,800 is the valuation of the 
property. There is an Ep worth League in connec- 
tion with the church, also a Junior League of 28 mem- 
bers. In the 70's Soldiers Grove had another church 
organization. A United Brethren church was organ- 
ized b\ r Rev. John Day. A Sunday School organiza- 
tion has been continous at this place since 1861, and 
there has always been a preaching point there. The 
Lutheran society at Soldiers Grove have a large pros- 
perous congregation and membership; their church 
edifice is one of the finest in the valley and cost over 
$4000. This church has a Sunday School and other 
auxiliaries of church and religious worship. The 
number of members we did not learn. In September, 
1871, Rev. P. Valentine, of Mount Sterling, organ- 
ized a Congregational church with a membership of 
10, at Gays Mills. The present society was organ- 
ized in February, 1894, by Rev. E. W. Jenney, of Bos- 
cobel. An M. E. church was organized at Gays Mills, 
in 1858, by T. C. Clendenning with about 25 mem- 
bers, but two years previous to this date the La 



Crosse district sent Rev. John Knibbs to this point 
and he preached in the house of W. A. Tallman, and 
there has been services by some orthodox minister, 
every alternate week since at this place. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was first organ- 
ized at Belle Center, in 1858, by Rev. Wm. McMillen, 
with John P. Coleman, as class leader; it was then in 
the Mount Sterling; circuit. A large society is re- 
ported at that place and a church valued at $600. 
Hanev Valley reports an M. E. church, organized by 
Rev. Dixon in 1891; present membership 35, and a 
flourishing Sunday School. At Barnum, Sunday 
School and preaching services are held in Odd Fellow's 
Hall, organized during the summer of 1896, by Mr. 
Wheeler, with Rev. Bliss the present preacher. Steu- 
ben, supports a Sunday School and the Congrega- 
tional society furnish a preacher at this point at the 
present time. There is no church building in the 
village. 

Wauzeka, has three large church buildings, owned 
by the Evangelical Association Church, the German 
Lutheran's and the Catholics. The first named 
society was organized in 1866, with 18 members. 
The building was erected in 1874. It was sold to the 
German Lutheran's in 1885 and a new house built in 
1890, at a cost of $1,500. This church supports a 
Sunday School. Rev. Rockits organized the class. 
The German Lutherans have a strong church class 
and Sunday School and their property is worth $1000. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Catholic Church was built 
in 1881. About 30 families have a membership in 
this church. The church buildingis valued at $1 .500. 



Among the professed Christians, some of whom 
are most active in good works, are many hundreds 
whose names are not found on the books of any 
church, there being no society of the denomination 
preferred by them. Throughout the valley, the en- 
tire length of which is 80 miles, we have a church 
membership of about 1,500, and the church property 
is valued at something over $20,000. It would be 
difficult to give an adequate idea of the amount of 
good these religious societies accomplish annually. 
There is scarcely a person in the entire valley that 
has not, or, cannot have the opportunity of attend- 
ing one or more church services every week. 



7<» 



Public Schools. 



The first schools in the Kickapoo Valley were 
essentially primitive. The first teachers were, like 
most of the other inhabitants, persons who had 
come West with the tide of emigration, intending to 
build up their fortunes. The first schools established 
were pay schools, that is, the patrons emplo3^ed the 
teachers and payed them for their services. Free 
public schools, such as we have now, could not have 
been established. The inhabitants could not rely up- 
on any public money to support schools, as the tax- 
gathers and the treasurer were not then commissioned 
to do business. There are no records of the pioneer 
schools, but some of the earliest inhabitants have 
been interviewed and inform us that during the early 
days schools were conducted in residences; and later 
rude structures were built of logs. The first school 
taught in Viola, was by Miss Helen Jackson, in the 
winter 1854 55, in a log cabin, with the total num- 
ber of pupils five. 

The necessity of establishing schools for the edu- 
cation of the young, was soon felt and appreciated. 
so, as the pioneer progressed, districts were formed 
and the rude structures with their homely furniture 
were gradually supplanted by more modern styled 



ones with comfortable equipments, and as is evidenced 
there was never lack of energy or interest among the 
people in the work of establishing and maintaining a 
good system of education throughout the Kickapoo 
Valley. From the little school of five pupils that 
met in the log cabin in Viola, has grown the present 
high school, which is the pride of the district and the 
admiration of all who visit our village. This school 
is attended by 200 pupils; the school house is a solid 
brick two story building with basement; it contains 
four large school rooms, besides commodious halls 
that are modern in all their appointments. The 
building is heated with furnaces, properly equipped 
with apparatus and a good library. This magnifi- 
cent school property cost our tax payers over $6,000. 
Great pride and interest is taken in procuring first- 
class instructors and a liberal amount is annually 
appropriated for teachers wages, apparatus, improve- 
ments and incidental expenses. The course of stud} r 
as prescribed by the state superintendent of public in- 
struction for free high schools is used, and each year 
we see a number of our young people passing the 
portals of our school for the last time as pupils. 
Twenty-five per cent, of the graduates of this school 
have entered higher institutions of learning, while at 
least fifty per cent, became teachers in our district 
schools and among the remaining we find useful and 
prominent citizens engaged in different positions of 
trust and honor. We feel that the early training in 
our schools have been stepping stones to their success. 
In almost every village in the Kickapoo Valley, 
school facilities are nearly equal to those at Viola. 

78 



"*-; 






VvJ 




Wauzeka Graded School. District Sch 



ool near Viola. Soldiers Grove Graded School. 
79 



We find graded schools at Ontario, Rockton,La Farge, 
Readstown, Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills, Belle Center 
and Wauzeka. We have the pictures of most of these 
school houses contained herein, together with the 
picture of a district school house, which is a fair 
representative of the district school houses in the 
valley, and we are proud to say that these schools 
are in every particular superior to those in older 
settled and better developed places, reflecting great 
credit and praise to the patrons and tax pa}^ers of 
the Kickapoo Valley. 

Of the schools in Vernon County, which are situ- 
ated in the Kickapoo Valley, the superintendent of 
schools for that county furnishes the following in- 
formation 

"There are eight school houses in Vernon Count\% 
on the Kickapoo river road. The cash value of the 
school houses and sites as reported by town clerks is 
$8,650.00. The cash value of school apparatus is 
$500.00. The La Farge school house is the finest 
school building in the county outside of Viroqua and 
I doubt if any village in the state has a nicer school 
house. Thirty-four have graduated from the course 
of study for common schools during the last four 
years. The above information is for the schools situ- 
ated on the river road on]y. The schools along the 
Kickapoo compare favorably with the schools in 
other parts of the county. The people take great in- 
terest in education and are willing to do all they can 
to make the schools along the Kickapoo equal to 
any of the common schools of the state." 

That portion of Crawford County lying in the 

80 



Kickapoo Valley proper, has three graded and twen- 
ty-one district schools. Last year four graduated 
from the graded and ten from the district schools. 
Within the last two years 12 from these particular 
schools have attended higher institutions of learning, 
and the superintendent of schools of Crawford in- 
forms us that twenty per cent of the teachers in 
Crawford County are residents of the Kickapoo Val- 
ley. Valuation of the twenty-one district schools is 
$12,600, of the three graded is $5,700. The valua- 
tion of school property in Richland County, located 
in the Kickapoo Valley — the river and valley only 
cross a small corner of the town of Forest— is about 
$10,000, and the value of all school property in the val- 
ley, which includes the furniture and apparatus, is es- 
timated at $50,000. Many of the people who re- 
side in the valley are in school districts, where the 
school houses are located on the ridges and such, 
are not included in this account. 

In summing the matter up we find thirty -seven 
school districts throughout the valley, each of which 
maintains a school from six to nine months in the 
year. The wages paid to teachers in district schools 
range from $25 to $40 per month and in graded 
schools from $50 to $80 per month. Wages paid to 
teachers each year will aggregate nearly $15,000. 
The amount of taxes raised for the maintenance of 
the Viola schools in 1895, and liquidation of out- 
standing indebtedness, aside from state, county and 
town fund, was $1,950 which amouts to, with other 
taxes raised, about 4-Vs per cent of the assessed val- 
uation. This should be con vincingr evidence that our 



«. 




Viola High School. 



82 



La Farge Graded School. 
Readstown Graded School. 



tax-payers are most liberal in their appropriations 
for educational purposes. 

A large number of men and women who are 
natives of the Kickapoo and received their early edu- 
cation in this valley are now filling responsible posi- 
tions in this and other states where they rank among 
the brighest and most capable citizens. We contrib- 
ute our portion of brain and enterprise that are con- 
stantly in demand to fill the responsible vocations 
which are annually calling for capable men and 
women. 

This great nation prides herself in the free school 
system which promotes morality and the diffusion of 
knowledge among our people. It is through this 
mighty system that schools were planted in the wil- 
derness and have been so signally preserved and im- 
proved for us until the present hour and they will 
continue in all their vigor, strength and beauty for 
countless generations to come. A higher respect for 
these institutions, a deeper reverence of law, a closer 
attention to the requirements of good citizenship, a 
wider inculcation of the spirit of charity, forbear- 
ance and good will to all, and a more constant and 
earnest endeavor for the enlightenment and advance- 
ment of all our people is daily instilled in the minds 
of the rising generation. 



83 



Representative men. 

In the forty-eight years since Wisconsin was 
admitted to Statehood the Kickapoo Valley has 
furnished her share of the state legislators. The re- 
cords show that twelve different men who were resi- 
dents of the Kickapoo, represented the citizens of this 
Valley in the legislative halls of this commonwealth 
of Wisconsin, from one to four terms each. To these, 
and others who have achieved distinction in affairs 
of state, we desire to pay tribute. These chosen rep- 
resentatives from among the sturdy citizens of the 
Kickapoo, whose energy and ambitions led them 
over many miles of measureless wilderness, to plant 
the germs of enterprise and progress in fertile Kicka- 
poo, took their places among the rank and file of 
Wisconsin legislators, and 'were always found zeal- 
ously and untiringly working for the success of com- 
mendable enterprise and the advancement of state 
government. Some of these personages have long 
since completed their life work and passed to the 
unknown realms beyond, and it was with great diffi- 
culty that the most meagre sketches of them have 
been obtained. 

The Kickapoo Valley's first representative in the 



legislature of Wisconsin, was J. L. Jackson, who 
was a pioneer of the Kickapoo Valley, and settled 
where the prosperous village of Viola now stands. 
He was chosen from this place to represent Richland 
County, and served in that capacity in that august 
body in 1859 and 1860. 

Mr. Jackson was a native of New York State, 
and was born February 23rd, 1817. In May 1840 
he was married to Pheobe Turner, in East Aurora, 
New York. He made his home in Strykersville, that 
state until 1854, when he immigrated to Wisconsin 
and settled on the Kickapoo. In 1861 Mr. Jackson 
removed to California, but only remained two years, 
when he came back to Wisconsin and located in 
Dane County. He died Feb. 20, 1891 at Oregon, 
Wisconsin. 

Albert Bliss, of Readstown, Vernon County, was 
the next law maker from the Kickapoo and he was 
elected Assemblyman three successive terms, 1864 to 
'67. Albert Bliss was born in Calias township, Ver- 
mont, December 26, 1811. He left Vermont when 
quite a young man. Lived in Pennsylvania and New 
York states for some years, then moved to Wisconsin, 
living at Plattcville from 1S47 until he moved to 
Vernon, or, then Bad Axe County, in the fall of '54. 
He died at Yiroqun June 12, 1888. 

Mr. Bliss and his posterity have been prominently 

identified with Readstown and every interest of that 
village since 1854 when he settled there. The various 
offices of trust and honor in the village have been 



handed down from father to son for three genera- 
tions, and to-day the largest and most substantial 
business house in Readstown is known as the "Bliss 
store." The principal hotel and lodging house at 
this date— and the village is enjoying a railroad 
boom — is the hotel built by Albert Bliss, in 1855, and 
it is identical in size and arrangement as first con- 
structed, is in good state of preservation and a 
wonder to all who see it that such a house was 
built in that early day. Parker Bliss, son of Albert, 
was proprietor of his hostelry many years after his 
father, and by travelers it was long looked upon as 
the Mecca of the Kickapoo, the comfort and protec- 
tion of that house and the viands served to the trav- 
ellers often being spoken of very highly. It is now in 
the hands of strangers, but is called the ' ' Bliss House. ' ' 

Belle Center, in Crawford County, claims the des- 
tinction of being the resident place of the next Kick- 
apoo representative. His name is Wm. Raymond, 
and he served in the legislature of this State in 1870. 
Aside from the fact that he was a prominent business 
man of that hamlet, we are unable to learn anything 
further. 

Wm. H.Evan's name stands on the list as the 
next Kickapoo representative. His home was at 
Yankeetown, and he was elected on the democratic 
ticket to represent Crawford County in the assembly 
of 1873-4. He was born in Virginia, Nov. 3, 1842. 
In 1860 he came to Clayton, Crawford County, 
Wisconsin. He enlisted as a private in Company I)., 
31st Wisconsin Infantry, and served his term of en- 

86 



listment. He studied law and was admitted to the 
bar circuit court at Prairie du Chien in May, 1873. 
As district attorney he served Crawford County 
three terms. 

Henry H. Wyatt, who served as a representative 
of the Kickapoo Country in the state legislature in 
1S77, was a general merchant, at Star, Vernon 
Count\r. We are unable to furnish anything more as 
a record of Mr. Wyatt, which we very much regret. 

Allen Rusk, who was assemblyman from 187S 
to '81 , may be termed among the early settlers of the 
town of Liberty, Vernon County, from which place 
he was elected. He was born in Ohio on the 6th day 
of February, 1825, and thirty years later came to 
Wisconsin, settled first in Grant County, but within 
a year or little more moved to Vernon County. Mr. 
Rusk's high standing in the community where he 
lived is best shown by the statement that he was 
elected chairman of the town board of Liberty, and 
justice of the peace, was postmaster for a number of 
years and various local offices, besides representing 
his district in two terms of state legislature. Mr. 
Rusk is a republican in politics and has always voted 
that ticket since the party's organization. He is a 
brother of the late Jeremiah M. Rusk. He was a 
member of Company D., 4th regiment, Wisconsin 
Volunteer Infantry, and served until mustered out of 
service, participating in all engagements of his regi- 
ment. He has retired from work and resides in 
Viroqua. 



Atley Peterson occupies a prominent place among 
republicans and business men, not onl\ r in the Kick- 
apoo Valley, but throughout the State of Wisconsin. 
He is a banker by occupation, but has interests in 
the lumbering, also flouring mill business at Soldiers 
Grove, his home, where he now stands as one of the 
leading men among her foremost citizens, and any 
one in Soldiers Grove will say that the advancement 
of that progressive community has been aided to a 
great extent through the enterprise and public spirit 
of Mr. Peterson. He is a native of Norway, was 
born at Lerdal, February 21, 1847; with his parents 
he came to Wisconsin in 1852 and settled in Vernon 
County. In 1853 moved to Crawford County; he 
received a common school and commercial college 
education in Crawford County and Madison, Wis- 
consin. He was postmaster in Soldiers Grove from 
1869 to 1886; was elected member of the assembly 
in 1879-'80-'81-'82; was chairman of the town of 
Clayton for four years and was chairman of the 
county board of supervisors; was elected railroad 
commissioner for the State of Wisconsin in 1886 on 
the republican ticket; he has repeatedly been a dele- 
gate from his county to congressional and state con- 
ventions. He is a self made man and has by his own 
energies and exertions built himself up to be a man 
of influence and worth, and has to the fullest extent 
the confidence and respect of the entire community. 

Thomas Curley is found among the representa- 
tive men of the Kickapoo, and when a resident of 
Belle Center, Crawford County, was elected to the 
assembly for two successive terms. He claims the 

S8 




89 



Emereled Isle as his birth place, and was born May 
8th, 1825; immigrated to the United States in 1851 
and settled at St. Louis, but removed to Wisconsin 
in 1867, settling at Mt. Sterling, thence to the town 
of Haney, village of Belle Center. He entered the 
military service as a volunteer in 1860 as first lieu- 
tenant in the southwest battallion of Missouri, hav- 
ing previously been an active member and officer of 
several militia companies. In 1861 he again enlisted 
in the volunteer service of the United States and was 
commissioned major of the 7th Missouri infantry, 
was promoted in May, 1862, as lieutenant colonel, 
and in July was called home to recruit, raising the 
27th infantry of which he was made colonel; partici- 
pated in the capture of Vicksburg, Jackson, battles 
Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, with Sherman in 
his march to the sea, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw 
Mountain, Janesboro, Lovejoy, Stanton, capture of 
Savanah and Fort McAllister, also the capture of 
Charleston and Columbia and many other minor 
campaigns; was commissioned brigadier general in 
1865 for meritorious service during the war; he was 
town supervisor in 1878 and was elected to the state 
legislature in 1883 and re-elected for two years in 
1884. 

Samuel Sloggy, assemblyman for two sessions of 
the legislature, 1885-87, was the representative for 
that part of the Kickapoo Country which comprised 
the 1st assembly district of Vernon County. Ontario 
claims Mr. Sloggy as a citizen for the past thirty-seven 
years; previous to that he lived at Sparta and Madi- 
son. He was born in Lawrence County, Pennsyl- 



vania, July 6, 1 S.'ili, came to Wisconsin L845, settled 
in Ontario, on the Kickapoo River in 1859. He was 
chairman of the town board for 10 years; has been 
clerk of the school for nearly twenty years; was post- 
master under Benjamin Harrison's administration 
and is considered one of the substantial business men 
of Ontario. His first occupation was farming, but 
he afterwards went in the drug business and is now 
proprietor of a large and prosperous business. 

J. O. Davidson, of Soldiers Grove, was born in 
Norway, February 10, 1854, and was educated in 
the common schools of his native country. He came 
to Wisconsin in 1872, residing first at Madison, later 
at Boscobel and since 1877 at Soldiers Grove. He 
has been engaged in the mercantile business for over 
twenty years. He was president of the village of 
Soldiers Grove during 1888 and 1889, treasurer in 
1892 and 1893 and was elected to the assembly in 
1892; re-elected in 1894 and again re-elected inl896. 
He has been an active member ofthat body, standing 
for what he deemed to be the best interests of his 
constituents and the people of his district. He has 
won the esteem of all who have come in contact with 
him, both at home and throughout the state. Ib- 
is frank, honest and honorable with his fellowmen 
and fills positions of trust with honor and credit. 
Van S. Bennett, of Rockton, Vernon County, 
Wisconsin, was born in Medina, Ohio, March 15, 
1836; received an academic education; removed to 
Wisconsin with his parents in 1846, settling in the 
town of Medina, Dane County; thence to Jefferson 
Countv in 1852 and to Richland Countv in 1855; 



located at Rockton in 1866; is by occupation a mer- 
chant and farmer. He enlisted in Company I. of the 
12th Wisconsin Infantry in September, 1861, in 
which organization he served as lieutenant and cap- 
tain until 1864 when his term of service expired; was 
superintendent of schools in Richland County in 
1866, which position he resigned for the purpose of 
going into active business at his present home; has 
served several terms on the county board of super- 
visors of Vernon County of which body he has been 
four times chairman; was member of assembly in 
1869 and 1870, and state senator in 1882 and 1883. 
At the present time Mr. Bennett has a store, flouring 
mill and several good farms. 

George H. Tate was born April 30, 1824, at 
Attleboro, Massachusetts; spent his boyhood days 
in Vermont; moved to Boston in 1845 where he re- 
sided for twenty years; came to Wisconsin in 1865 
and settled at Viola, engaging immediately in the 
mercantile business which he continued until 1885. 
He was postmaster in Viola from 1865 to 1875 and 
was elected member of assembly in 1882, serving one 
term. He owns one of the best business squares in 
the town upon which he has store buildings erected 
which he leases. He is well situated and has his 
money mostly invested in railroad stocks and real 
estate mortgages. Mr. Tate has been a good finan- 
cier during his business career and labored hard to 
lay up something for the maintenance of himself and 
wife in their declining 3 r ears. 

George E. Tate, son of George H. Tate, was born 
in 1848 in Boston, Massachusetts; at the age of 

92 



seventeen came with his parents to Viola, Wisconsin. 
He was engaged in the mercantile business with his 
father for many years in Viola, and for five years in 
Readstown. In 1882 he sold out his merchandise busi- 
ness and moved to his farm about five miles above 
Viola where he still resides. Herepresented Richland 
County in the assembly in 1887; is postmaster at 
La Farge at the present time and a stockholder in 
the Stark Co-Operative Company's store. He owns 
one of the best farms in the valley and has it well 
stocked. He has just erected a fine, large barn which 
makes everything complete and convenient. 

Calvin E. Morley was born in Chautauqua 
County, New York, in 1843; came to Wisconsin in 
the winter of 1858-59; enlisted in Company C. of the 
19th Wisconsin Infantry, Februaiw, 1862, and was 
discharged in April, 1865; came to Readstown in 
1865; served as member of town board several terms; 
was elected county coroner, elected sheriff in same 
county in 1876. Mr. Morley was colonel and aid de 
camp of Gen. Rusk's staff while he was governor of 
Wisconsin and served six years in this position. He 
is at present superintendent of public property at 
the capital in Madison, which position he has held 
for the past two years. Mr. Morley owns a farm 
just outside the village of Readstown where he still 
claims a home. 



93 



Cbe People? Social Conditions. 

The inhabitants of the Kickapoo Valley are al- 
most wholly of American birth. Probably New 
York, Ohio and Indiana have contributed more of 
the residents that any other states. Quite a number 
of kt Pennsylvania Dutch" have immigrated here and a 
few from New England. Of the foreigners, almost 
all are of Norwegian birth. It is well known that 
Norwegians make as good citizens as any Europeans 
who come to our shores. They are thrifty, honest, 
patriotic, yielding cheerful obedience to our laws 
and not seeking to perpetuate their own language 
and customs in parochial schools. 

The Kickapoogiansasa whole are not a moneyed 
class, but they believe with the apostle that "If any 
provide not for his own, and specially for those of 
his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse 
than an infidel." There are many individuals among 
their number who arc possessed of much houses and 
lands and flocks and herds and bank stock, but the 
vast majority arc in moderate circumstances only. 
Nineteen -twentieths of the farmers own the land they 
till. Very nearly as large a proportion of the vil- 
lagers own the house and lot on which they live. 

There is practically no pauper class here. Out of 
a population of 14,779, throughout the eighty miles 



of the Kickapoo Valley there were about one hun- 
dred and fifty persons who received some aid from 
the public treasury last year. The amount paid was 
$679.55, an average of about $4.50 to each. One 
township, that of Forest in which Viola is situated, 
received none. 

The homes on the Kickapoo arc characterized by 
comfort rather than by display. While many of 
them are elegant in their appointments, a few are 
of a primitive style. But to the rich and to the 
poor alike, the stately bluffs add dignity, and the 
smiling valleys, murmuring streams and diversified 
woodlands give beauty. 

Just here let it be noted that no more charming 
spots for camping in tents or in cottages can be found 
in Wisconsin than are hundreds of locations on the 
Kickapoo River and its tributaries. The cost of liv- 
ing is not great, and with the hunting, fishing, boat- 
ing and delightful excursions by team or bicycle a 
most enjoyable season may be passed. 

Among a people so nearly on a par with each 
other financially, and each one a free American citizen 
residing in his own house and tilling his own land, 
one does not expect to find marked class distinc- 
tions. Social divisions are made in accordance with 
a high, if sometimes narrow standard of moral living. 
Mutual tastes and ambitions, intellectual power and 
environment produce "sets" in society just as it uni- 
versally does. No one is ashamed to work. Some 
may be too lazy to do so but such are lew. The 
children of both the well-to-do and of the poorer 







96 



parents are taught that it is no disgrace to be a 
worker, but that the shirker is to be despised. 

Like true Americans eveywhere, the people resid- 
ing in this Valley take an active interest in both 
national and international affairs. The great dailies 
of Chicago and Milwaukee, usually the former, have 
hundreds of subscribers in this region, and their 
readers are well qualified to argue each his own poli- 
tical creed, or to discuss matters of general interest. 
Poor indeed is the home in the Kickapoo Valley into 
which some one of the local weekly papers do not 
go. Magazines and religious papers are found on 
every hand, and scarcely a family but has at least a 
few books. 

The religious belief of the professed followers of 
Christ is not of that superstitious variety that 
"troubles one like a gadfly" as Mrs. Humphrey Ward 
says, but has a healthful tone manifesting itself in 
upright living and a firm belief in the ultimate 
triumph of right. As a whole the people may be 
classed as conservative but not stubbornly so. Thev 
are open to conviction. Many aggressive workers 
against sin and unrighteousness are to be found in 
every community. They receive the cordial support 
of the general public. The temperance cause has 
always had a large following and warm advocates. 
The villages of Star, La Farge, Readstown and Bar- 
liiini are habitually no-license towns. Viola for 
twenty years or more was free from the saloon curse; 
but three years ago license carried in the town of 
Liberty, Vernon County, in which a portion of the 
village is located. In the town of Forest there is yet 
an overwhelming majority for no license. 



Churches and schools and all public institutions 
are well supported. Not every one takes advantage 
of the opportunities open to him. But many per- 
sons who are far from being scholarly, like Whit- 
tier's ''Barefoot Boy" are rich in "knowledge never 
learned of schools," and possessed of a refinement 
which springs from an inborn sense of justice and a 
love for truth and for humanity. 

Hospitality is considered one of theprime virtues. 
It is bestowed with a disinterestedness and homely 
charm that warms the heart of any but the most 
cynical. 

A letter from Rev. William Haughton, pastor of 
Congregational Church at Retreat, Wisconsin, in 
answer to a request for the poem which he so kindly 
contributed and which appears on the cover of this 
book, expresses so well some facts concerning the 
Kickapoo Valley and its inhabitants, that with his 
permission extracts are here made from it: — "I am 
glad you contemplate the issue of such a pamphlet. 
I always admired the Kickapoo. Many pleasant 
days have I journeyed by its waters, and sitting 
on its bank under the trees one day to rest, I com- 
posed that poem "The Kickapoo" a copy of which I 
enclose you. 

I am surprised that any should advertise the 
Kickapoo Valley in adverse terms. I traveled up and 
down that Valley twice a year for rive years or more, 
and never have I met more generous or hospitable 
people. I have preached frequently in Readstown, 
Bloomingdalc, Rockton, Seeleybnrg, (rays Mills, On- 
tario and on up the Kickapoo and always found a 



quiet, orderly and appreciative audience. And some of 
the kindest and most Christian homes I have ever 
lodged in were on the Kickapoo and the plains about it. 
I am surprised that any one should defame the dear 
old Kickapoo. To be sure there were some "roughs" 
there as there are in all other places, but this is the ex- 
ception not the rule. — Well I always love to look upon 
the bright side of everything and every place, and 
indeed the Kickapoo has many bright spots for me 
and lingers very tenderly in my recollection. Good 
Christian men and women there, able men and 
women intellectually, and many generous hearts. 
Some of our best Vernon County teachers came from 
the Kickapoo. I remember them well. It is unfair 
and unkind to speak evil of the Kickapoo. — I am glad 
to be able to give my honest testimony as regards 
the good people of that part of Vernon County 
watered by the dear old Kickapoo. 1 ' 



OH ^ 



\\/, 




